Though the details of the new commando force of Karnataka are yet to be disclosed, the announcement has raised the eyebrows of experts.
Amidst the intense situation in Karnataka after the murder of BJP worker Praveen Nettaru in the Dakshina Kannada district, the state’s Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai dropped a hint about the formation of a special commando force.
Though the details of it are yet to be disclosed by the government, the announcement has raised the eyebrows of experts.
Talking to reporters in the early hours of 28 July, Bommai said, “There is a decision to create a new ‘commando force’ to tackle terrorist organisations conspiring to create communal unrest in the state.”
The government’s decision to establish a new, advanced, trained “commando force”, with an apparent view to effectively counter the terror forces, appears to be a move to calm the persisting anger among workers of the BJP’s youth wing, which has already seen mass resignations.
This apart, the statement has not gone down well among those with good experience in policing and law.
As Karnataka has several dedicated layers of security forces, many former policemen and law experts do not agree with the government’s idea of establishing a new commando force.
BK Shivaram, former ACP of Bengaluru, told South First, “To tide over the current situation, the statement might have been made by the chief minister. Already there are sufficient security forces in the state.”
He added: “The announcement of a new commando force could be for a name’s sake.”
Reacting to the announcement, former DG & IG of Karnataka Police ST Ramesh told South First, “I have no idea about the contours of the commando force. No commando force can solve the problem of crime.”
He added, “If grassroots policing is carried out as per the law, the police manual and other existing instructions and guidelines, if instructions go loud and clear to the rank and file at the police-station level, these crimes and public-order issues can be effectively prevented and tackled.”
He also said: “Strengthening grassroots policing, empowering the local police without interference, and allowing them to perform [their duties] freely and fairly are the only way crime of any nature can be tackled.”
A new commando force could also apparently lead to panic among the masses.
Former state public prosecutor BT Venkatesh said he found the idea of a new force just unwanted trouble.
He told South First, “The violence on communal lines is the result of a political crisis. The creation of a new commando force to stop them would lead to unnecessary panic and fear in the minds of the people.”
He added: “Already, special forces like the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Anti-Naxal Force are well on their toes, with the Karnataka Police substantially good at their job of policing and investigation.”
Besides the Karnataka Police, the state has had its own counterterrorism force named Garuda since 2010. It is the state’s special anti-terror squad.
In 2021, the Karnataka Police formed a Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) Team in Bengaluru to check any “untoward incident” in the state capital.
In June 2022, a 34-member SWAT team was formed by the Mangaluru Police, and trained to be the first responders to attacks by terrorists and other criminal groups.
The Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) is another wing of security forces, consisting of 12 Battalions, ie, 12,000 security personnel.
Meanwhile, the state’s Internal Security Division is headed by the Additional Director General of Police.
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